Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Today I got an opportunity to really utilize my trailer. I am working on the house and needed some things from the Big Box store. I purchased fertilizer, 7 door locks, a gallon of paint and some odds and ends. Total weight 63.5 lbs. Total miles round trip 8.5. The trailer and I handled the load well. The only thing I noticed was a back and forth motion when pedaling with the full load. Not a deal breaker, but, I don't think I would use it for touring. For around town shopping it handled and tracked well and even climbing some minor hills was not overly challenging. I had a 30 gallon tub not being used which I attached. Perfect for those big items and lots of grocery bags. You can't be shy riding a trike or any recumbent for that matter. When you add in the trailer the faces on people are just total amazement. For the past 20 plus years I try to leave my car at home and use my bikes for errands, shopping and of course just fun. Having the trailer adds more utility miles and gives me another excuse to:

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

I use my bike for most errands, however, when shopping for larger items this can become quite challenging. I thought a trailer would be just the ticket. I looked at a few inexpensive ones on the net. Aosom makes steel cargo trailers for about $100, but they weight 35lbs. Croozer also makes a nice steel cargo trailers for $200, but again the weight is 25lbs. Avenir has a light weight one for $200 but uses a chainstay mounting system not suitable for my trike. The better and lighter ones such as Burly and Quik-Pak exceeded my budget. After scouring the web, I came across what was advertised, as a Croozer Y frame trailer. I new Croozer didn't make a Y frame and remembered that Carry Freedom did. I checked there site and found the trailer for about $310 plus shipping. It was exactly what I was looking for. Light weight alloy frame, with 20 inch wheels under $175 shipped. It came in a Croozer box, but upon opening it I immediately saw the decal for Carry Freedom. It came mostly assemble and took just 1/2 hr to tweak everything. It tracks great, can accommodate various configurations, has a ridiculous load capacity of 198 lbs and weights just 15.7 lbs. My only complaint is it is a bit rattly, especially when empty. I will work on that. I feel I lucked out on this purchase and look forward to many more utility miles.

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About Me

Rediscovered cycling when I moved to NJ over 25 yrs ago. Discovered recumbents 14 yrs ago and haven't looked back. Getting out in the fresh air and exercising without polluting gives me great satisfaction. In 2012 I had almost as many miles on my bike as my car. My future goal is to have more miles on my bike. In addition to cycling, I enjoy camping. I am a devoted husband, father and grandfather.